Anger has swept Port Said, with residents protesting after the court finalised the decision to send 21 of more than 70 defendants in the Port Said Massacre trial to death row.

The ferries used to cross the Suez Canal have been placed in the middle of the canal by authorities in response to public threats to take over the ferries.

Following a week of intense clashes between police and protesters, police withdrew from the port city, leaving the army in charge of the city’s security. At the time of writing on Saturday afternoon, no clashes had been reported between the army and protesters.

Port Said has been in turmoil since the initial verdict was issued on 26 January. Over 40 people have died in Port Said since the start of the violence in January.